Ahead of the meeting, member of the Basin Community Committee Russell Pell was optimistic the discussion would be about “constructive ideas – not political grandstanding”.

But post meeting, that’s exactly what NSW and Victoria’s water ministers accused their South Australian counterpart of doing.

“Today South Australia pretty much tried to hold hostage, or blackmail the NSW and Victorian communities,” Victorian Water Minister Lisa Neville said. 

The three ministers are at loggerheads over a plan to move 450 gigalitres of environment flows upstream to South Australia. 

NSW Water Minister Niall Blair said communities would be “decimated” by the loss of 450 gigalitres. 

He said with SA Best leader Nick Xenophon “doing damage” in the lead up to the state election, he wasn’t surprised by South Australia’s Ian Hunter’s stance. 

“We are not going to allow NSW communities to be held to ransom for political gain in South Australia,” he said.

“That’s what we’ve seen today, politics over policy, politics over the environment, politics over communities.”

RAMROC said a December 2017 review found the Goulburn Murray irrigation district had a mix farming loss of $25 million annually, 1000 jobs lost and farmers were paying $20 million more per year for temporary water. The Deniliquin region lost 678 jobs.

Farmer and Australian Dairy Industry Council chair Daryl Hoey said there were ongoing frustrations at the seemingly lack of progress on the plan.

Committee for Greater Shepparton’s Sam Birrell said the industries were reaching a tipping point.

“I worry five years down the track we’ll have a water crisis, a food crisis, industry struggling and what are we going to do about it?” he said. “Industry is under real threat.”

Albury mayor Kevin Mack said it was not good enough South Australia was asking the Border to “suck eggs” and adopt an unsustainable plan.

Cr Mack said it was time farmers and those who represent them stood up for their industries.

“I can’t believe people in Canberra are making such ridiculous decisions, and states need to step up and say ‘Enough is enough’,” he said.

“The MDBA and ministers need to get their stuff sorted, it’s getting ridiculous.”

Mr Hunter said meetings would now be occurring “offline” between individual states rather than as a group. 

Mr Hunter asked all federal ministers from South Australia to support a disallowance motion to prevent previously agreed upon points passing until the issue had been resolved. 

“Today just confirmed our deep suspicion that NSW and Victoria never planned to deliver on the 450 gigalitres plan,” he said. 

“They only wanted the down-water requirements.”